Grand Tidings

Not much to say. Well. Truth is there is too much to say in the span of time between the baby falling asleep and when it is time to wake her, so here are some pictures to tide over the Grands and the Greats.

(by the way, these are compressed and cropped, so if you happen to want the original file for photo printing, (Mom), just email me which ones you want and I'll send them to you.)

I know it, I know it. Pick me! Calculus always was my favorite.

Oh-ho-ho, yeah. I got it ri-ight.

Um, hang on. I'm thinking. I think I've almost got it. E, equals...m...c...squared. Yea. That's it.

Ooh. Wait. No, don't call on Sam. I know the answer. I KNOW THE ANSWER!!!

Oh yeah, oh yeah, I got it right. Oh yeah, oh yeah, you got it wrong.

(think I'm expecting my child to be (a) an over-achiever?, (b) conceited? (c) a mocker of others?)

Wordless Wednesday

Thigh Highs...

(these really are baby-sized socks! I don't know about the thigh-high-ness, though!)

We Interrupt This Post...

... for an earlier-than-planned feeding. Sorry. I guess I need to check the battery on Mookie's body clock, eh?

Things are good where they should be and challenging where they should be, too. If you have ever had, known, or been a newborn then you can fill in the blanks! :o)

Iwill, however give you a photo or two to appease the masses (or at least to appease the Grands)! :o)

Her first ride in the car from the outside. ;o)




In her swing in a state of rest...
...and a state of unrest!

So, no, the smile has not gone away. :o)

Such a sweet baby!

Can you see the dimple on her left cheek? She's also got one on her chin (most obvious when she's got her chin frumpled in the midst of a cry.)

Her first flowers!! Thanks, Jane -- we love them!:o)

What's on your mind, baby girl?

...And I Don't Mean Maybe!

Hey there. Baby is born. Quick data for now, more good stuff later.

Her name (da-dada-daaaaa...) is Mookie) (that's not her real name -- it's her nom de blogue). She weighs 6 pounds, 8 ounces, and is 20 inches long (tall and skinny, duh!)

She was born after about 10 or 15 minutes of pushing (I know, I know...but it wasn't really that glamorous of a labor, I promise!). I was induced at 6:30 am, got the epidural at 8:00 am, and at 11:30, was still only 1 cm. All was quiet until about 12:30 pm when I started to feel pain through the contractions. Dave called the nurse at about 12:45 because of the pain, and she checked me, and said that I was fully dilated, and the baby was "knocking at the door." So...I can't say for sure because most of my pain was masked by the epidural, but the real labor-type work seems to have been done in about 15 minutes, too.

I have 2nd degree tearing (think episiotomy), but 4th degree is the worst, so I didn't fare so badly.

She was quick to latch on, and has had a couple of snacks so far, but seems to want to sleep rather than eat (I think she gets that from me!)

The nurses have been AWESOME here today - I couldn't have asked for better.

What else have I forgotten? Oh, besides the photos! Hah! (these are not in any particular order)

After her bath:

35 minutes after being born:

28 minutes after birth:

Her vital statistics:

6 minutes after being born:

After her bath, and before her first diaper:

After her bath, getting warm again:

Snoozing this evening:

The Family, shortly after birth: :o)

Papa and Baby Mookie about half an hour after she was born:

So, there you have it! All the pictures you ever wanted to see, right? :o) (Yes, Grandparents, I know that the real number of pictures you ever wanted to see is equal to INFINITY!!!!!)

LilyPie is Wrong

Well, to answer Megan's question from yesterday's post where she asked how I was, and then gave me capitalized encouragement (thank you!!)...

Physically, I am feeling fine. I'm not really having any of the "you are going to give birth tomorrow" body pains, although I really am praying for my body to prepare just a wee bit more before the party really gets started at Stupid:00 tomorrow morning. :o) I've spent a lot of time the last few days resting as much as I can, so I think that will help, too. As for the physicality of stuff for the baby, we're covered. There's the 47 onesie/body-suit/wiggle-in undies that are washed and folded (and that's just newborn ones!), the changing pad is ready for the first (of many) blow-outs, the crib is made, the rocker rocks and doesn't hit the wall, the rocker-side table is stocked, the swing is ready and working, the downstairs diaper-station is stocked and ready, the carseat is installed, the stroller is ready for strolling...what else have I forgotten? I'm probably prepared for it, I just can't remember it! Dave will be home with me (as my personal slave) for the first 2 weeks of the baby's life, so that is a huge blessing. And he doesn't have a Blackberry for work, so he can't even get his emails! Woo hoo! :o)

Mentally, I'm feeling fine, too. Honest and truly, I am. I don't feel anxious at all - either about the method of birth, or the fact that the rest of my life is going to change dramatically in less than 24 hours. I'm spending quiet time either praying or resting or writing thank you cards for wonderful gifts received or just double-checking everything in my head. Dave and I have watched a couple of movies, some TV, and just, in general, chilled out. I've got a Last Minute list of things to pack at the last minute... :o), and I guess everything else that I haven't thought of and planned for will just have to be a surprise and/or challenge for us to deal with.

Spiritually, I'm fine, as well. I've been praying for quite a long time about this day - for the nurses and doctors, for the hospital in general, for the other new mamas that will be there (it's a full moon on Monday night by the way! Gah!!), for Dave and me, and the baby (of course), for a smooth delivery, that we all learn quickly about latching and feeding, and mostly that we all feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in the room with us during the entire process. I know God is right here with me at this moment at the dining room table, and I know He will be with us in the labor room tomorrow.

I do have some wonderings, though. Like:

• Does the Yipper know just how dramatically her little life is going to change in the next 24 hours?
• Is she ready?
• Are they ever?
• What do my toes look like?
• Will she latch-on quickly?
• How will the kitty cats adjust?
• How will Dave adjust? (btw...he keeps saying how much he's looking forward to his "vacation"...I keep telling him that if he says that on Monday or after, I am not only going to throttle him, but I am going to store that little nugget of ammunition and will use it freely and frequently for the rest of his life and he won't be able to do a single thing about it!)
• How long will it take me to get the "official" announcements out?
• How long will it take me to find my favorite (or any!) calligraphy pen so I can address the announcement the way I want to?

Well, and I'm sure there are other things I am wondering about, but I can't think of any at the moment, so there! That's all I've got. :o)

And so, the LilyPie ticker at the top is wrong. I do not have 8 days to go. I have 1 day. Less, actually.

And I'm ready.

Lest I Forget (TPiR)

...which, considering that within the next 48(ish) hours, I will have given birth, forgetting this is a distinct possibility!

Set your DVR, set your TiVo, set your VCR, or just plain, watch. I now know the air date for The Price is Right Million Dollar Spectacular show (my recap found at preceding link) that I went to in April. Remember, I didn't get called down to Contestant's Row, but we were sitting in the second row, and you should be able to see us! Dave's cousin, Anne, is on the end of the row, on the left, and she's wearing a bright pink t-shirt, then her mom is next, then me in a pink sweater, then Anne's aunt.

Also, the guy directly in front of me proposes to his girlfriend (via his t-shirt). Drew promised him he'd get a good shot of the t-shirt, so...good luck to him!

No one won the million dollars for our show, but I still think it's worth watching. It was fun to be a part of it.

Anyways, take care, and we'll see you on the other side of birth!

Selling it on eBay

Every day I have a difficult struggle. For a lot of people, this isn't a struggle, but for me it is. I'm just being honest here. Struggle. Every day I have to figure out what to make for dinner. Supper. Evening meal. More like Evening Torture to me. Lucky for me (I guess?) Dave is not a particularly particular eater. He'll eat pretty much whatever is put in front of him. And since he doesn't get home until after 6:30, usually, it's not really easy for him to make dinner in a timely manner that suits his very picky, very pregnant wife. So, dinner is kinda up to me.

My dinner repertoire is not so varied. It's a shame, really. But I guess we're a good match, right? He doesn't care if he eats the same thing frequently, and I don't really care to experiment much with different kinds of foods, so, there. Good match.

Anyways, one of the things pregnant women have to do is get copious amounts of protein in their diet each day. Some days I do better than others, I admit. Yesterday was one of the better days. I decided to make brinner (breakfast for dinner). We've all done it. Admit it, don't be shy! :o) For us, it was scrambled eggs with cheese and sausage, and "whomp" biscuits. "

(Aside: for my British readers, by "biscuits," I do not mean the things you dunk into your hot tea. I mean the bread-roll type things that one serves with breakfast, and can sometimes be found with sausage, eggs and cheese in the middle. Or, in the right parts of the South, there's a hot pitcher of Sorghum syrup just waiting for the biscuit to sop it up.)

As is my normal custom, when the timer went off, I took the pan of biscuits out of the oven, and used a spatula to flip them over (so the bottoms don't get over-burned while I'm finishing things up). Now, I don't usually pay attention to these things, but the first biscuit I turned over had a heart ♥ imprinted on the bottom. Aww, how sweet! One for Dave! So, I took it over to show him, and he was equally pleased. (We're simple folk, really). Then I turned over the rest, and, lo and behold, I found another that had something imprinted on the bottom.

Do you see what I see?

I took it over to Dave immediately to see if it was just me. (Apparently it was, but that's beside the point). I said (rather emphatically and possibly dramatically) "Can't you see it?!? It's JESUS!! On my BISCUIT!!! Look AGAIN!!!"

He said something about the Baby Jesus, and I cleared it up quickly for him stating that it was most definitely not the Baby Jesus, but it was Jesus on the Cross because Biscuit Jesus has a crown of thorns, and the Baby Jesus definitely did not. (He apologized for his error in vision, making some comment about needing to see the doctor. I am going to assume he meant a doctor of the vision variety and not the head-shrinking variety.)

But look for yourselves! See? (you can even blow it up to see more clearly) And Biscuit Jesus even has a GLOW about Him!! Hah! That's just so cool.

I told Dave I thought we should try to sell it on eBay. He didn't say much...I think he was wondering to himself if I was really serious or not!

In the end, I decided not to call the news media, and to forgo trying to sell it on eBay and just eat my eggs before they got cold.

And, may I just say, my Jesus Biscuit tasted pretty good.

Sun-Bathing (with grace)

Alley loves her sunshine...today I caught her bathing in it. Literally. :o) Enjoy!

Day by Day (38 weeks)

Here we are for yet another edition of Melissa's Pregnant Life. I've been to the OB today, and she said everything looks good and the baby is healthy and still growing (though you can't tell because my belly didn't grow any over the last week). I'm 38 weeks along, and still 39.5" around.


(apparently I need a V8...do I look like I'm leaning to you?)

She also told me that she scheduled me for the inducement. (I've checked, and this seems to be an acceptable alternative to induction...which, to me, is a way of getting into National Honor Society or the Baseball Hall of Fame. So I will freely use the term inducement whether I'm right or wrong. OK?) :o)

Okay then, back to the scheduled inducement. She said "Monday at 5 a.m." And I said "Do you mean in the morning?" And she said "I know, I'm sorry, but, yes. That kind of a.m." She has good reasons for that kind of torture I'm sure...but I don't remember if she mentioned them because I just stopped listening after that. :o) It is possible that she'll decide to have me admitted the night before, but I'm kinda thinking I'd rather have one last night at home (not that I want it to sleep in my own bed, since I don't actually sleep anymore...). That will give Dave and me one last night at home just the two of us, and we'll be able to snuggle with the kitties that little extra bit before their life changes dramatically. I guess the good news is that we shouldn't have to worry about running into much traffic on the way to the hospital, right? Hah!

Here's my requisite side shot. Again, probably not much different than last week, but we'll both have to look at the slideshow to see for certain. That's been a popular little feature, lemme tell ya! :o) I'm glad you are all enjoying my girth so much!

As for pregnancy feelings and stuff, I can still feel the baby moving around quite a bit, but her movements have gotten even bigger. Like I kinda wonder if she's planning on being a bus driver one day because she'll push her arm (or leg?) out under my left ribs and "turn the steering wheel" across my belly all the way to under my right ribs. Big fun, folks. Big fun. And she still gets the hiccups - and it still feels funny! I have certainly had bigger Braxton Hicks contractions, but none that involve any pain. I haven't had any of the classic pre-labor sensations (including no real "nesting" sensations...dangit!), either. I have been even more tired this week (is that possible?), and it takes a lot more energy to get up and do stuff, and it takes a lot longer for me to recuperate. So, I guess Dr. OB is right to schedule the inducement. What with being tired all the time and not sleeping more than an hour at a time before I've got some kind of body ache and have to get up and walk around for a while...I don't know how much longer I could handle this! :o)

So, that's it for now. If there's anything more to tell you, I will. Have a great week!

LOOT!!! (a blog of photos)

Well, it's been a week since my bountiful baby shower, and I've got two things clogging up my Guilt Filter. (1) I have not yet written sent the Thank You cards, and (2) I have not yet written posted the blog that reveals why I should get those cards written!

So, here goes writing the procrastinating-the-writing blog!

First up, we have a shot of all the loot after we (it and I) returned home Friday night. (Confession: It's mostly all still down there since the baby's room isn't 100% ready for it all) (I'm working on it, I'm working on it!) (consider that #3 on the Guilt Filter. Thanks.)

Here is a shot of all the lovely food that my hostess, Angie, provided. She is a wonderful hostess, and loves to throw parties, and, based on how much folks seemed to enjoy themselves, she did a wonderful job!

Here's me and the cake. It's called a Dinner Cake. As I was gobbling mine down, I think I said something like "Sure, I could eat this for dinner..." But isn't it pretty? It tasted WAY prettier than it looks. Yum yum.

This is the "rowdy crowd" right before we started a rousing game of Baby Pictionary. There were some toughies! How does one draw colic, for instance? (One artist drew a cow, then it's tongue. Get it? Cow-lick? Yeah, well, her team didn't either.) There was diaper rash, midwife, mommy brain, doctor, ... um...there were others, but I can't remember them! We had fun, though, and that's what matters. This was really the only game we played. No "Guess How Big Melissa Is" or "Don't Say 'Baby'" games -- thank you, Angie!!!

And now, onto the loot! Here I am trying on some very cute clothes. I think they're a little big for the bump (for now) and a little small for me. STILL cute, though! Very cute.

Did you know that Gerber has copyrighted the term "Onesies®"?? Yeah, me neither. So, what does Carter's call their "snap-around-the-crotch-t-shirts"? They call them "Wiggle In Undies"... I guess that's cuz babies can't wiggle out of 'em? (note the smug look on my face as I'm trying to figure this out) (I mean, really...aren't mamas around the world confused enough? Why do they have to play the name game with us?) Sheesh. Nonetheless, far be it from me to look a gift bag in the mouth...I do most certainly appreciate the "can't wiggle out of 'em" bodysuits that the Yipper was given.

Here is a very special gift from Dave's mom -- she made the baby a quilt! Look at the fabric! I love bright colors for baby stuff! I should have folded the corner down so you could see the back, too. It's kinda cobalt blue with batik'ed (?) animals and stuff. I showed it to Dave when I got home, and quickly put it back in the box. Knowing him, he'd be snuggled under it on the couch at night while watching TV! :o) Well, okay, maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing. Then when the baby was born, she'd be able to associate the blanket with her papa, right? SO PRETTY!! Thank You, Grandma Burns!

Here we have Kendall (favorite model of the Kiwi variety) modelling the Bumbo Seat the Grandma Nancy sent to us. I love these Bumbo seats! They are (a) cool feeling, (b) cool colors, and (c) good for the baby to learn to sit up and stuff!

Oh, yes. A gift from Gymboree. Good stuff, Maynard. There was a reversible cardigan with a little white fluffy Pomeranian puppy on the front, and the inside was all number of different kinds of dogs. So this photo is of me naming all the dogs on the matching blanket for my friend Katy (she's so sweet to actually look interested, doncha think?). I love dogs, and I love this gift! What could be better?!


And here is another hand-made quilt. My Bible study buddy, Cindy, made this for the baby. She used some vintage fabrics, and made it to match the bedding we've chosen. She created the ladybugs out of her daughter's old corduroy jeans. How creative! And, the kicker, she hand-stitched the entire thing. (shaking head in disbelief). She is A-Mazing. It is beautiful, and soft, and perfect in every way.

And, finally, me, basking in the glow of a bunch of wonderful friends who have blessed us with oh, so many generous gifts.

Now, I must be off to work on Guilt Filter Items #1 and #3. Hope you have a great weekend!

In Case There Were Doubts...

Tonight I realized as I walked into the kitchen to tend to dinner that my belly seems to sieze up when I go in...as though the baby knows where she is and is extremely uncomfortable and doesn't quite know what to do in this strange place.

So, in case there were any doubts...she's just like her Mama!

And...A Not-So Wee Comparison

Week 5 vs Week 37...what a difference 22 weeks makes, eh?

A Wee Comparison

12 weeks vs 37 weeks. Sweet, no?

Inch by Inch (37 weeks)

So, here we are, another week later. I've only grown about 1/2" in the last week, which is fine. I've been to the doctor already today (I started my once-a-week visits today), and all is well. Based on what she said, I don't expect to see her until next Monday. :o)

Here's my belly measurement - 39.5"

And here's my side-view. Not much different from last week, I think, but I plan to do weekly updates until "Showtime" so maybe we will see her "drop." I also hope to get smart enough (and ambitious enough - hah!) in the next ... um...while to sort out a slideshow of the belly shots. I know it's possible, I just have to get my act together to do it! :o)
I had my final ultrasound last Thursday, and everything looked fine. The baby is estimated to weigh 6 pounds, 2 ounces (about 2800 grams). I don't know about how long she measured, but I assume she'll be a long baby because when the doc measured her arm and leg bones, they were above average. :o) At least some part of her will be, right?! Hah! I've gone through the ultrasound DVD, and tried to capture the best image I can of her sucking the outside of her thumb. I couldn't get it on the 4D, so we'll just have to go old-school for a bit. You can clearly see her fingers, and I asked the doc about why her nose looks like it does, and he said it's because she's pressed up against my uterus...and assured me that it won't look like that on the outside!! :o) Whew! (plus, her nose looks normal on the 4D scan, I just couldn't get a good capture) :o)

Then Friday night, I had a very bountiful baby shower. I will put a better post up about it (again, when I get the ambition!), but it was a lot of fun, and I was SO amazed at the generosity, and the creativity, and the variety of gifts we got!

Now, as an aside, may I just encourage all of you to simply respect the pregnant ladies in your life, or in your parking lots? Saturday, Dave and I went to The Big Baby Store to get the stroller/car seat. And since it was Saturday, there were a bunch of people at TBBS. TBBS, surprisingly to me, has only 2 (as in two, or, since it's Cinco de Mayo, dos) "Expectant Mother" parking spaces. Hello...what kind of store are you? You want mamas to get tired before we even come into your store? Okay, whateva!! So, anywho...there we are, approaching what appears to be an available Fat Mama slot. Woo and Hoo! As Dave and I were waiting for the line of cars to get past said spot so we could occupy it, the car ahead of us started to maneuver as if it was going to take it! Shoot! I, being the wise and observing one, noticed what appeared to be two men in the seats of the two-seater sports car that was about to occupy the available Expectant Mother parking space. And I told Dave that I was about to get out of the car, so he stopped the car shortly before his heart stopped. I, being the sweet-natured, gentle-tongued, never-to-confront person that I am waddled marched right up to that sports car before he had a chance to put it in park and said something along the lines of "Oh, No You Di'n't!!" (with the requisite head/neck movements, of course!) Now, to the driver, I really think it looked like a smiling pregnant lady approaching his car, saying something pleasant like "Oh, shucks, I was really hoping you were going to leave this parking space to a pregnant lady..." (more smiling) (and holding of belly) (and gentle cocking of head) (you know the one I mean). To which he said "Yes, I'm sorry, I just saw the sign." (and he backed out). And as Dave pulled in, he still had a very shocked look on his face! I mean, seriously. There was nary an ovary in that car! How DARE they!! So, please be sure to be nice to all pregnant ladies around you. And in case you need some help, here are some things that are appropriate to say to her: "You look stunning!" and "You are how far along? Wow! You don't look a day over 5 months!" or "May I bring you a glass of ice-cold lemonade?" or "Would you like to sit here so you can prop your feet up?" Nothing else. And leave them the open parking spaces, will ya? :o)

And, the biggest news of all is that if I don't go into labor on my own in the next 2 weeks, then the doc is going to induce! 2 WEEKS!! Can you believe it? Me neither! I'm SO not ready!! Ack! I know that I wouldn't be ready if I had another 4 months, but that's beside the point! Hah! But, honestly, I trust my doctor implicitly (or I wouldn't be going there, duh!), and considering that the number of babies she's been involved with delivering compared with the number I've been involved with is something like 500/0, which is, like, the mathematical equivalent of impossibly high, so, um...we're gonna go with her assessment! :o) Plus, you know, I'm no spring chicken. I'm "of advanced maternal age" (oh, so flattering!), and, really, as of today, I'm full term. All this little girl is going to do over the next few weeks is get fatter. And the placenta and the amniotic fluid start to break down at 39 weeks, so there's really no reason to keep her cooking. She's cooked. She's just getting a little plumper around the edges.

(and if you feel like you have a witty come-back about that last sentence, I encourage you to re-read the end of the second-to-the-last paragraph.) (I'm just sayin')

With that, I bid you a happy week!